Statements of His Eminence in the Presence of Officials and Servants on the Anniversary of the Blessed Birth of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and Imam Ja'far Sadiq (AS)

In the Name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

I congratulate the blessed birth of the Prophet Muhammad, son of Abdullah (peace be upon him and his family), to the great Islamic Ummah, to all the free people of the world, to the honorable and faithful nation of Iran, and to you, esteemed and dear attendees present in this gathering - especially the guests who have come from other countries.

This great day, which marks both the birth of the Prophet and the birth of Imam Ja'far Sadiq (peace be upon him), has created one of the significant turning points in human history. On such a day, the Almighty God brought forth the greatest divine treasure, the revered Prophet, into existence; this marked the beginning of a decisive period in the fate of humanity. In the verses regarding the birth of the Prophet, it is said that when this great figure was born, the pillars of the palace of Khosrow were destroyed; the fire temple of Azar Gashasp, which had been lit for centuries, was extinguished; the lake of Saveh, which was considered sacred by some people at that time, dried up; and the idols that were hung around the Kaaba were toppled. These signs, which are entirely symbolic and emblematic, indicate the direction of divine will and tradition in adorning this great being and this unparalleled character with the garment of existence. The meaning of these symbolic events is that with this blessed arrival, the humiliation of humanity, whether through the tyranny of oppressive rulers - such as those that existed in ancient Iran and Rome - or through the worship of others besides God, must be eradicated. Humanity must be liberated through this blessed birth; both from the oppression imposed by tyrannical rulers on the oppressed throughout history, and from the shackles of superstitions and erroneous beliefs that cause humiliation and subservience before beings inferior to oneself or before other human beings. Thus, the verse of the Quran regarding the mission of the Prophet Muhammad states: "He it is who sent His Messenger with guidance and the religion of truth to make it prevail over all religions, and sufficient is Allah as a witness." The phrase "to make it prevail over all religions" is not time-bound; it indicates the direction. Humanity, through this event, must move towards spiritual, social, true, and rational freedom. This endeavor has begun, and its continuation is in our hands.

If humans exert more effort and diligence, they will reach the divine goals - which have been determined in the divine program - sooner; but if they do not engage and show weakness, they will be delayed for many years on this path; like the wandering of the Children of Israel: "Forty years they wandered in the land." The Children of Israel became lost and wandered in the desert due to their own actions. They could have prevented the emergence of that hardship and bitterness; they could have shortened its duration; they could have prolonged it with their weaknesses. Our fate is the same. For Muslims, the purpose of human creation, the mission, and the philosophy of sending messengers and revealing books by the Lord have been both stated and determined. It is the people themselves who can make this path longer or shorter; they can reach their destination sooner or later.

In divine tradition, the will of humans is decisive. The fact that Islam invites people to strive - "And strive in the way of Allah" or "And strive in Allah's cause with the striving that is due to Him"; meaning expend all your capacity in the way of striving - is because if we act upon this divine recommendation, we will reach the divine goal sooner. The divine goal is fixed, certain, and cannot be deviated from. If we do not act, others will come and act: "And whoever of you turns back from his religion, Allah will bring forth a people He will love and who will love Him." The Almighty God has made this path, this destination, and this fate certain. What is not certain is the time and the people who will have the happiness of taking this ball from this field. This depends on the will of you and me.

The Iranian nation, under the leadership of Imam Khomeini (may his soul be sanctified), made an effort and was able to take a step forward and raise the flag of Islam here. Today, in this country, the flag of the Muhammadan Sharia (peace be upon him and his family) has been raised. This event could have not happened or could have happened ten or a hundred years later. What made this important realization possible at this juncture was the will and decision of this nation for sacrifice and acts of striving. This is prevalent everywhere.

Today, the issue of Palestine is a painful and deep wound in the body of the Islamic community. The verse that was recited states about the noble Prophet of Islam: "It is grievous to him what you suffer; he is concerned for you, and is full of pity and mercy for the believers." Today, the suffering of the Islamic world - the most prominent part of which is the issue of Palestine - pains the sacred heart of the Prophet; "It is grievous to him what you suffer." With the current situation of the Palestinian nation, the sacred spirit of the Prophet in the higher realms of divine creation is filled with sorrow. What is the remedy? Striving and effort.

Today, the issue of Palestine is the issue of the Islamic world. Whether we Muslims in Islamic countries know it or not, whether we understand it or not, the fate of Palestine is the fate of all of us. If Palestine succeeds in this courageous confrontation that it has created for itself, the success of the entire Islamic world is assured; but as long as the suffering of that nation continues, it will be a source of increasing humiliation for the Islamic world. The Islamic world must truly regard this issue as its own. It is true that we all have a religious duty and Islam has made it obligatory upon us to assist the people of Palestine; but my message today goes beyond religious duty. I say that today, whatever incident occurs in Palestine and wherever this issue leads, it is directly related to the fate of Islamic countries - whether they are near or far - and it will also affect them. Today, whatever the Muslim nations do for Palestine, they have done for themselves and for their own benefit. When, with the plan of British colonialism and the assistance of global arrogance, this bloody piece was separated from the body of the Islamic world, their intention was not only to conquer this piece; their intention was also to dominate the entire region - which is the heart of the Islamic world. Therefore, today we all have a duty.

Of course, the Palestinian nation has done what is right and worthy of a brave and honorable nation in fulfilling its duty and has stood firm. We must all know that this current oppressive and usurping Zionist regime has failed in its operations up to this moment and has achieved no success and has been defeated by the will of the Palestinians. The aim of these operations has been to extinguish the Intifada of Al-Quds; to force the Palestinians to raise their hands in surrender and to extinguish the motivation for freedom and the honor of the Palestinian people; but what has been achieved is exactly the opposite of this. Today, the determination, decision, and understanding of the Palestinian nation regarding the issue of Palestine is greater than when the Intifada had not yet begun. Today, the depth of enmity, malice, and savagery of this usurping regime and its partner - America - has become clear to the Palestinian people. When a nation reaches a point where it sees no choice but to embrace a brave death, nothing can withstand its resilience. Neither the power of the Zionists - which is tanks and artillery and these apparent tools - nor the political and financial power that supports them - which is America - can have any effect. The day when they used to comfort the Palestinian nation with sitting at the negotiation table and supposedly gaining concessions is over; it has become clear that sitting at the negotiation table and talking with the enemy has no effect. Today, the Palestinian nation has understood this and is doing its part. Palestinian mothers, Palestinian youth, Palestinian women and men, and Palestinian teenagers are in the field.

What is important is that the Islamic world must fulfill its duty. The Islamic world means nations and governments. Governments may assume certain constraints for themselves, but the nations do not have these constraints; scholars, intellectuals, politicians, and influencers in the thoughts of the people do not have these constraints; they must take action. This action will also assist their governments. Today, if the Muslim nations, especially the Arab nations, clearly and continuously show their determination and will to support the Palestinian nation within their countries, it will be good for their governments; because governments in the diplomatic arena can use this means to exert pressure on the enemy.

Our great Imam recognized and saw the truth of the matter well. From the beginning of this movement in 1961 - that is, forty years ago - when the issue of Palestine had not even spread among the elites in Iran, the Imam's message was that everyone must feel the danger of the Israeli domination; everyone must stand up and resist. He continued on this path, and this was one of the great slogans of that divine and heavenly man.

We hope that the Almighty God awakens all the Islamic nations; makes us aware of our duties and assists us in fulfilling these duties; brings the Islamic Ummah closer together and removes the elements of division from among them, and increases the elements of unity and friendship among them day by day.

Peace be upon you and God's mercy and blessings.